Artillery French infantry and cavalry complained about the airs the artillery adapted because their Emperor had been a gunner himself. But the skills demonstrated by Napoleon’s artillery often opened the path to victory for them. Napoleon himself sighted guns during battle well after he took command of all French troops. Artillery companies, or batteries, consisted of 100 to 120 men with six cannon and two six-inch howitzers. The cannon fired a four, six, eight or twelve pound cast iron ball, depending of the size of its barrel. An artillery crew would be able to fire up to two or three shots per minute, lobbing screaming iron into enemy ranks from a range of 600 to 1800 yards.